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Ahead of the festival of lights, senior Congress leaders gathered at the residence of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, for a 'Diwali Milan' program on Friday. What was intended as a festive get-together quickly transformed into a sharp political counter-offensive against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with top opposition voices calling out the ruling party on governance failures, citizenship concerns, and Delhis worsening air pollution crisis.
Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot took aim at the BJPs recent countrywide demonstrations, pointing out the irony of a ruling party taking to the streets to protest. Gehlot criticised the BJP's decision to hold street demonstrations nationwide despite holding power at the Centre. He argued that the role of demanding accountability belongs to the Opposition, whereas a ruling party organising protests creates an unprecedented political spectacle that diverts attention from governance. "It will be an occasion for everyone to engage in conversation within a positive atmosphere... One shouldn't pay too much attention to what the BJP say. For the first time in 80 years, we are witnessing a reversal of roles: the ruling partyrather than the oppositionhas taken to the streets to protest, calling to 'save democracy' and 'end anarchy.'" Highlighting the active participation of top government leaders in these demonstrations, Gehlot added,"They are acting in a completely counterintuitive manner... People are now laughing at the spectacle they are creating. Union ministers, chief ministers, and their state-level party presidents have all taken to the streets, travelling across the country. Just imagine the sorry state they have reduced executives to..." Congress leader Pawan Khera highlighted severe apprehensions surrounding the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SIR) process, alleging that it acts as a mechanism to disenfranchise voters and strip away constitutional rights. He also addressed widespread anxieties regarding voter list revisions and verification drives. He framed the administrative process as a potential threat to basic civil documentation and social security benefits, warning that voter list deletions could jeopardise citizens' recognised legal status. "It is Diwali; everyone is getting together for the festival... Through this process of SIR, peoples citizenship could be stripped away. Its a conspiracy to take away your birth certificates, death certificates, and access to all government schemes and facilities. If you are no longer even recognised as an Indian, what will you be left with?" With the National Capital Region (NCR) battling severe seasonal smog, Congress leader Udit Raj held the ruling apparatus directly responsible for the environmental fallout. Pointing to the BJPs administrative control across multi-tier governance structuresincluding the central administration, the Lieutenant Governors office, and local bodies- Udit Raj argued that the government can no longer pass the blame for severe air pollution to neighboring states or previous administrations, signalling complete institutional failure in managing public health hazards. "The reality is that when the BJP was not in power, they used to pin all the blame on the Opposition... Now, they control everything: the central government, the state government, the administration under the Lieutenant Governor, and the local municipal bodies, so they are the ones responsible. They can no longer use the excuse that the smoke from stubble burning, drifting in from outside, is the cause. They have failed at every level and in every sector..." (ANI)
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